Tile and tiling.



UNITED STATES Patented May 1-6, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. MUNRO, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHNMILTON VAN ORDEN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

TILE AND TILING.

SPECIFICATION forming'part of Letters Pa en N0. 790,260, dated May 16,1905.

Application filed April 4, 1903. Serial No. 151,154.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES HARDIE'MUNRO, of Newark, New Jersey, haveinvented certain Improvements in Tiles and Tiling, of which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters on the drawings designating like parts.

I This invention relates to tiles and tiling, the term not being used ina technical sense, but as a convenient designation for the devices offictile or other material used in the formation of coverings for floors,walls, ceilings, &c.; and while my invention is of particular advantagewhen embodied in tiling composed largely of small round tiles or dots ofvitreous ceramic, nevertheless wish it to be understood that Icontemplate the utilization of my improvements in any field for whichthey are adapted by their nature.

In tiling composed entirely of small round dots laid in contiguous rows,the dots in each row lying opposite the joints in adjoiningrows, thearrangement of dots produces upon the eye an efl'ect of lines, whicheffect is monotonous if the tiles are laid properly, so that the linesare straight, while if the lines are curved or irregular through "poorworkmanshlp an offensive asymmetrical appeardifiicult when found toaccomplish its remedy.

Occurrences of the above difiiculty are promoted by the setting of tilepapered upon its face, and I prefer, therefore, in carrying outmylmprovements to utilize the process and means for preparing tiles forsetting disclosed in Letters Patent granted to me upon the 5th day ofAugust, 1902, No. 706,474, and upon the 17th day of February, 1903, No.720,836, although it will be understood that I do not limit myself inthe use of my improvements hereinafterdisclosed to corded ceramic, as 5itis known in the art.

Brieflystated, among the principal features of my invention is theintroduction in a til-.

ing embodying many small round dots or similar shapes, presenting whenalone monotonous straight lines, of tiles at frequent intervalsdiffering-sufficiently in shape or size from the first-mentioned tilesto break up the monotony of the lines either by their own shape or theshape of the cement-filled interstices between adjacent tiles. In thecaseof the round-dot tiles this may be accomplished by introducing astar-shaped scallop or polygonal tile at frequent intervals or a roundtile of smaller dimensions than the principal tile. 5 Tiling thusconstituted may be laid in sheets, either corded or papered, with muchgreater facility and accuracy than the round dot alone, the eye of theworkman being aided by the difierent shape of the tiles to accomplishmore 7 accurately the properemplacement and joining of successive sheetsof tiling.

Another important provision made by me is the utilization in suchtiling, with the usual tiles of vitreous ceramic or like material, of.frequent members of a material having greater resistance to slipping ofthe feet of passers-loy, a property secured by the use of such materialsas rubber composition, friction metal, or other materials, preferably ofa Waterproof 30 character, the combination of the ceramic therewithserving to prevent undue wear of the other material.

The various features of my invention will be illustrated and describedfully in the ac- 5 companying drawings and specification and pointed outin the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 illustrates in plan View a section of tilingin the construction of which my invention has been embodied. Fig. 9 2 isa similar View of a modified form of tiling, Figs. 3 and 4 showingsimilarly still other modifications.

In the embodiment of my invention selected for illustration anddescription as a convenient form toenable a ready and completeunderstanding of my improvements the reference-letter a designatesindividual tiles,

which. may be considered as the round-dot tiles of vitreous ceramic orlike material well known in the trade and constituting the principaltile in the section of tiling illustrated in plan in Fig. 1. At frequentintervals throughout these first-mentioned tiles I have illustratedtiles 6, which in the figure under discussion take the shape ofstar-like or scalloped disks, two round dots intervening betweenconsecutive stars in each line and adjacent lines being arranged so thatthe stars in one line are spaced between dots in the adjoining line. Itwill be seen readily by even a casual inspection of this figure thatthere can be no monotony of line in a tile thus constituted.

In Fig. 2 the desired result is produced by substituting smallerround-dot tiles d in the same positions between the principal tiles 0 asare occupied in Fig. 1 by the stars 6, the star-like figure produced bythe cement e in the interstices of the tiling effectually breaking upany such continuity of line as is exhibited in tiling of round-dot tilesall of the same size.

In Fig. I a hexagon itakes the place of the star 5, and in Fig. 3 theprincipal tile is shown as a hexagon f, in which smaller hexagons g orround dots g are shown as introduced to accomplish the desired end.

In the figures I have shown, upon a portion of each, cording cemented tothe back thereof in accordance with my Letters Patent to which referencehas been made above, and it will be obvious that, especially in theconstruction illustrated in Fig. 2, the position of the intermediatetiles (Z will be maintained to great advantage during transportation andsetting by the provision of the cording.

In accordance 'with the features of my invention designed to preventslipping upon floors of this character the principal tiles or the othersmay be composed of rubber composition, lead composition, or othersuitable non-metallic or metallic substances of a frictional character.

Having thus illustrated and described my tion.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. Asheet of tiles or similar devices assembled preparatory toemplacement in a tiling or the like comprising members, similar in size,assembled in adjacent rows and smaller members,interspersed at frequentintervals in said rows of larger members respectively, and held in placerelatively to, but out of contact with, said larger members, by cording,substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

2. Tiling or the like composed of members assembled in adjacent rowswith broken joints, said rows comprising in recurring series two membersof like shape and size and a member differing in size, shape, materialor color from the flanking pairs of members in its row, said pairs inone row being arranged opposite imlike members in the respectivelyadjacent rows, and every row in whatever direction the tiling is viewedpresenting freq ucntly dissimilar adjacent members, substantially asdescribed.

3. A sheet of assembled tile members to be laid in tiling, composed ofvitreous ceramic members in adjacent rows, and subsidiary members ofmaterial presenting relatively high resistance to slipping interspacedat sillficiently frequent intervals among said ceramic members to beengaged in substantially continuous succession by the feet of passersby,said member being connected by cording, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,this 9th day 0] March, A. D. 1903.

J AMES LI. MUN R0. l/Vitnesses:

ALEXANDER C. PROUDFI'J, CHARLES F. GnunMANN.

